MINUTES

Chair: David Williams

Present:

Jim Ralph, Lucy Williams, Roger Davies, Sasha Ufnowska, Jayne Hunt, Ben Allen, Liz Mutch, Ian Thomas, Jonathan Burke, Gareth Ellis, Zena Wilmot, Jenny Wong, Maria Wilding, Sara Wynn-Pari, Damian Assinder, GarimetKhaldi, Marian Francis, Jenny Crouch, Chris Harris, Fay Sharpley, Kirsten Manley, David Williams, Jane Gronow.

Apologies: Susan Arnold, Alison Stuart, Richard Lewis, Adam Thorogood, Bruce Slark, Tim Cumine

  1. Welcome from Chair, David Williams. David thanked everyone present for attending and supporting this year’s work
  1. Minutes: The minutes of the AGM held on May 26th 2016 at FfermMoelyci, Lon Felin Hen, Bangor were approved with two amendments:
  • Accounts listed as 2014-2015 amended to 2015-2016
  • The spelling of Chris Harris was amended

Proposed: Jayne Hunt

Seconder: Lucy Williams

There were no matters arising.

  1. Director’s Report:

David Williams presented the written report which outlined the main activities of Llays y Goedwig over the year and drew attention to some of the key points.

Membership is key to the organisation with the Capacity Building Officers, Sara and Sasha, playing an important part in visiting and supporting new members across Wales. Membership has increased by 13 and now stands at 74 full members with 273 associate members (an increase from last year’s 254). Thanks to all the groups who contributed to the recent membership survey which has helped to raise important issues for Llais y Goedwig to be aware of.

The Board are all volunteers who are directly involved in community woodland groups as well as those who bring other practical skills and experience. Collectively they put in many hours of work. This year was the first year for Chris Harris, Jayne Hunt and Tim Cumine who have settled in well. Members are always welcome to attend board meetings – Adrian Fahey attended one such meeting this year. We would like to thank former members and associates who have helped in different ways over the year – So it is a pleasure to thank Jenny Wong, Zena Wilmot, Adam Thorogood and Kirsten Manley.

There are five staff on a part time basis. Sarah Buttery continues as the Administrative Officer ensuring accounting and information capture is covered.

Liz Mutch has had a full and challenging year as Network Co-ordinator and has settled in well having made contact with most of the members through the survey, maintaining the good relationships on which Llais y Goedwig depends.

Sasha Ufnawska and Sara Wynne-Pari as Capacity Building Officers have had a strong emphasis on being independent brokers in forging links with landowners (private, NRW and local authorities). The demand has been significant, and as a result funding for additional hours for both has been provided by Woodland Trust.

Maria Wilding, in addition to her work as Communications and Development Officer, has undertaken work as the development officer for the Forestry Hub where Llias y Goedwig is based in Machynlleth. She has secured three new tenants at the hub who have settled in well. Maria has also provided a sustainability options report presented at this event and her work in the Startree Project, which has now ended, has provided valuable experience that will help underpin our future work.

Our networking events this year included being part of Porthkerry Park’s Open Day event and offering skillshare opportunities at Bryngarw Country Park (near Barry), Elwy Working Woods (near Abergele), Llyn Parc Mawr (on Angelsey) as well as Longwood and Coed y Bont (near Lampeter) at this year’s annual gathering. We also covered transport costs for exchange visits between groups. Thank you to the hosting groups for sharing their experiences and being so welcoming. Groups are encouraged to contact us for further exchange opportunities.

Our sixth year at Royal Welsh Agricultural Show secured a ‘Best Educational’ stand in the forestry sector. Many thanks to Fay, Maria and Liz for planning and organising groups to share what they do and to have an opportunity to network with other forestry organizations. This year’s event will see a collaboration between Llais y Goedwig, MWMAC and Coed Cymru.

Our online network continues to expand with members responding to queries with advice, solutions and generally sharing their experiences. We have had mini blogs/articles from groups on the topics of: volunteers, insurance, surveys, charitable status, tree diseases and grant applications. There have been an additional six case studies uploaded and guides and articles presented have been of great interest to our partners such as the Welsh Government and the Woodland Trust.

With our core funding from the Environment and Sustainability Department, we attend quarterly meetings with Welsh Government and events arranged for all core funded organisations. Welsh Government colleagues have attended a few of our Board meetings where we were able to exchange views and be open about what we do. We have also attended six monthly meetings with the Cabinet Secretary. A big thank you to Bill MacDonald for his continuing advice and support at events throughout this year.

Our other partnerships are with the Plunkett Foundation under the ‘Making Local Woods Work’ Big Lottery funded project which has enabled a few groups to get involved. We have an important partnership with the Woodland Trust who fund some of our events and the important work our Capacity Officers do. Many of our groups have championed the Woodland Charter with a keen interest in seeing this as a spring board to action on the principles outlined.

Natural Resources Wales (NRW) continue to be an important partner with support at grassroots level through their new Community and Regeneration Advisor and at two strategic events held in north and south Wales. A special thanks to our most ‘critical friend’ in NRW, Barbara Angelzarke, who left the organisation this year.

Good reciprocal information /newsletter sharing arrangements have been establish with other new partners: Royal Forestry Society and Confor which broadens the range of information that community woodlands can draw upon.

This next year we focus on how best to use the last year of our core funding so that we ensure that we make the best of the opportunities that we face.

The meeting accepted the Directors Report.

  1. Treasurers Report: presented by Jane Gronow, Llais y Goedwig Volunteer Treasurer

Jane gave an overview of the provisional accounts for the year 1st April 2016 to 31st March 2017 which are now ready with Martin Davies, Chartered Accountant. She presented a ‘story’ of our finances:

There are 3 bank accounts:

  1. Programme Funds – these are by partner donations allocated to spend against outputs
  2. Our own funds – built up quietly over the years (overheads)
  3. Star Tree Funding – European Funding for research on Non-Forest Products aka Wild Food Products in Wales

Funds are distributed as follows:

  1. Programme Funds
  2. Welsh Government Core Funds (April 2016 – March 2017)

£127 000 spend on staff costs: Brokering, Networking, Events, Research and Capacity Building; Board costs i.e. travel; Forestry Hub i.e. rent and running costs; Insurance and accounts; Networking: RWAS, Skillsharing, Website, Gathering, Bursaries for exchange visit travel expenses.

  1. Coed Cadw / Woodland Trust Funds (January – December 2017)

£10 000 spend on: Economics of Community Woodland Group Study; Royal Welsh Show and Eisteddfod Events; Five regional events; Event Training; Extra brokering and engagement

  1. Making Local Woods Work Funds (April 2016 – March 2017)

£5000 spend on: Consultancy support to groups e.g. Gareth and Dyfi Woodlands; Small overheads – our own funds

  1. Natural Resources Wales Funds (April 2016 – March 2017)

£3000 spend on: 2 workshops for NRW staff

  1. Forestry Hub Funds (March 2016 – Present)

£2500 accrued through meeting room hire and desk rental

Spent on: Improving Facilities; Developing and delivering an events programme; Publicity of the Forestry Hub as a place promoting Woods for People

  1. Our Own Funds

April 2016 we had £4000 and in March 2017 we had £4300. Both these amounts are available for Travel Bursaries for group exchange visits and attend skill share events.

  1. Star Tree Funds (EU Funding)

StarTree ended in October 2016

Final Payment to Llais y Goedwig in May 2017 of £25 000 – Payment for work done – savings through good budget management by Maria Wilding

Funds will be spent on: Royal Welsh Agricultural Show; Extending Brokering / Capacity Building Time; Last year’s target of having a contingency is now in place.

Looking ahead…

  1. Programme Funds (April 2017 – March 2018)

Welsh Government Core Funds - £134 000 to end March 2018

Coed Cadw Funds - £10 000 to end December 2018

Making Local Woods Work Funds - £5000

  1. Our Own Funds (April 2017 ongoing)

£4000 – Travel Bursaries

  1. Contingency Fund (Star Tree)

£18 000 – 3 options have been costed for post April 2018 operations. Agreed bare bones operations over 3 years

Jane Gronow is stepping down as volunteer Treasurer and will begin the process of handover to Damian Assinder to be completed by July 2017. A final thank you was given to Jenny Wong for her enthusiasm and innovation in securing European Funding for the StarTree project without which we would not have our contingency fund.

  1. Election of Directors

Jane Gronow stood down as volunteer Treasurer. The Board want to thank her for her persistence and patience in managing the accounts over the past six years. Damian Assinder stood for election as treasurer.

Fay Sharpley and David Williams stood down, but stood for re-election. Ryan Fox-Knight stood for election. The Articles of association state a maximum of 10 Directors.

David Williams, Fay Sharpley and Ryan Fox-Knight were duly appointed as Directors and welcomed to the Board, joining Chris Harris, Ian Thomas, Jayne Hunt, Tim Cumine and Damian Assinder.

  1. Any other business

No other business declared.

The meeting closed at 4.36pm.